Wednesday, 19 September 2012

ObitMessenger: Nobody left to run with anymore

You know you're getting old when you sign up for ObitMessenger, a service that delivers the latest obituaries right to your iPhone.
Ever since I signed up to get the Ottawa Citizen on my Kindle, I've missed the obituaries which, for some reason, the Citizen doesn't relay onto the Kindle edition. I can't understand it. As today's Census will attest, and what we already know, is that we are an ageing society and with that ageing society comes more dead people. I want to know who they are.
I've lived in this strange burg more than half my life, so I know a lot of people. I want to know who exactly is dropping dead. I don't get out much, so funerals provide an important opportunity to network with the living.
My former colleague and press club friend Gord Lovelace was recently asked whether he might consider getting his buddies back together for a Bad News Band reunion. Gord shot back on Facebook that he'd love to, except that most of the band is planted and he's refusing to go on as a solo act or a duo. In fact, he sold his amp at a garage sale this week.
Just as well. Not sure how well the song stylings of the BNB would sound in clear, crisp digital sound.
Clearly, as ObitMessenger points out to me every day, there's nobody left to run with anymore.
A lot of my old friends from the National Press Club have gone to the bar in the sky. The Club has been gutted by the National Crapital Commission for more office space for Parliamentarians. And the reunions are getting smaller and smaller.
That's why I need the ObitMessenger just to keep up.
Today, I suppose because it's Raise a Reader day, I woke up to find a hard copy of the Citizen on my doorstep. Cool, I thought.
But then I completely forgot about it after I came home from walking the dog and personal straining. By the time I realized I had a paper to read, I'd already combed through the Kindle edition though I admit to seeking out the obituaries in the hard copy to see if my name was there.
Fortunately, I am still in the land of the living.
I fear the paper edition of the Citizen soon will be not.